Car-brake



(No Model.)

J. RUF?.

GAR BRAKE.

No. 606,585. 'Patented June 28, 1898'.

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w@ f r l E Norms PETERS ou. Fumo-urna.. wAsHINaToN n c UNITED kSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH RUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,585, dated June 28, 1898.

4 Application filed 0ctoberl5 ,'1897. Serial No. 655,292. (No model.)

T Y1f/ZZ whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH RUFF, a citizen of the United States residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new rand useful Car-Brake, of

which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-brakes. A

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the operating mechanism of street-car brakes, more espeparts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a Ycar provided `with a brakeoperating mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention. plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates a ratchet-wheel fixed/to avertilcal brake-staff 2 in thev usual mannerY and located upon the upper face of the platform 3 at one end of a car and normally engaged by a pivoted pawl 4, which locks the brakestaff against retrograde rotation. The pawl 4, which is slightly curved, is pivoted between its ends, and its arms, which are/,arranged at an angle to each other, both'extend forward, one of them being held against the ratchet-wheel 1 by a spring 5, secured at one end to the car and having its other end free and engaging the outer face Vofthe adjacent arm of the pawl. As the pawl is normally held in engagement with the ratchet- Wheel, it does not require any manipulation by the foot of the motorman when he is ap- Fig. 2 is a reverse I plying the brake. VThepawl is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel by a depressible lever 6, fulcrumed between its ends in a slot or opening of a bracket or hanger 7 and provided at one end with an upwardly-extending arm 8, operating in a slot 9 of the platform of the car and arranged to engage the outer armof the pawl. The upwardly-extending arm of the lever is located at theouter edge lof the pawl, and when the lever is depressed by the means hereinafter described the outer arm of the pawl is forced inward, throwing the engaging end away from the ratchet-wheel.

The slot 9 of the platform of the car extends transversely of the latteiyand the arm 8 of the lever is held normally at the outer end of the slot and out vof contact with the pawl ,by means of a spring 10, secured at 'one end to the bottom of the car and having its other end free and engaging the upper edge of the lever adjacent to the arm 8. By this arrangement the pawl is permitted to vibrate independently of the lever 6 when theratchetwheel is rotated in applying the brake, and when the arm 8 of the lever moves inward toward the inner end of the slot it engages the adjacent arm of the pawl and swings the latter out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel. The other end of the lever supports a pin 11,

which passes through the platform of a car and is provided at its upper end with a head and is adapted to be engaged by the foot of the motorman, whereby the lever is depressed against the action of the spring to release the ratchet-wheel.

The invention has the following advantages: The pawl is always in position for engaging the ratchet-wheel, and in case of danger a motorman can sound his gong until the car is brought to a standstill, one hand only being necessary for the application of the brake and the other hand being free to ring the bell. The brake may be instantly released by simply depressingthe pin without sliding the foot from one end of the pawl to the other and without wearing the platform of the car or the shoe of the motorman.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of this invention.

ICO

That I claim is- In a device of the class described, the combination with a car provided in its platform with a transverse slot, of a brake stall, a ratchet-wheel mounted on the brake-staff, and located at the upper face of the platform of the ear, the curved pawl pivoted between its ends and having two arms extending forward and arranged at an angle to each other, one of the arms engaging the ratehet-wheel, a sprin gholdin g such arm in engagement with the ratehet-wheel, a lever fulerumed between its ends to the platform of the ear and provided at one end with' an upward]y-extending arm projecting through the slot and located at the outer side of the other arm of the pawl and adapted to engage the outer edge thereof, a spring engaging the lever and holding the arm thereof normally at the outer end of the slot and out of engagement with the pawl, whereby the latter is permitted to vibrate independently of the lever without Vi brating Ithe latter, and a depressible pin extending upward from the other end of the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony that I cla-im the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH RUFF.

Titnessem l. GIRARD, W. J. Bonomi. 

